Lungfish (Modern) ---> Dipterus (Fossil)
Latin Name: Dipterus
Dipterus
Scientific Classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Sarcopterygii
Subclass:
Dipnoi
Order:
Dipteriformes
Family:
Dipteridae
Genus:
Dipterus
Habitat Dipterus is a genus in a family of ancient lungfish which lived about 385 to 360 million years ago mostly in Australia, North Africa and Europe. It is strongly believed that the Dipterus lungfish were ancestors of the modern Queensland Lungfish (N. Forsteri). Many distinct similarities are found between the two species such as the skull, the soft fleshy pelvic and pectoral fins and the unique lungs. The Dipterus were on average, about 40cm in length, which is extremely small when compared to modern lungfish.
Dipterus Distribution 360 Million Years Ago
The Dipterus lungfish much preferred deep water over the shallows for hunting, living and spawning. It was not their choice though. Millions of years ago plant life flourished at depths of over 5 metres in river and lakes, especially in central and eastern Australia. Vegetation in shallow waters was scarce due to the consistent droughts, which, when sea levels dropped killed a vast amount of vegetation. This forced countless species to change their natural environment and also live in deeper habitats which was terrible for the ecosystem. It ultimately led to a large amount of extinctions.
This is similar to the natural habitat of the Dipterus
Lungfish thrived on the bottom of huge freshwater lakes, thanks to the extensive variety of food and thick aquatic vegetation which offered as an appropriate environment for lungfish spawn sites. The Dipterus had recently adapted to spawning in vegetation as it keep the eggs protected and hidden. Underwater flora helped lungfish’s security. Being safe and out of sight was vital in this habitat because there was such a great quantity of animals. The majority of these were prey, but there were various animals which were predators of the Dipterus. That is why aquatic vegetation was a necessity for lungfish.
Adaptations
2 Structural Head Protection: The head of the Dipterus was incredibly protected due to a structural adaptation which affected the bones in the face and head of the fish. The Dipterus had very strong bone plates in its cheeks, around the eyes, and the back of the head; which resulted in the form of a heavily armoured skull, similar to a helmet. It was quite effective against predators, especially for young lungfish which were targeted more often.
An environmental pressure that might have caused the Dipterus to form such a tough skull and bone plates was the increase of predators into the surrounding habitat of this lungfish. It required this extra protection for it to survive.
Dipterus with Labelled Adaptations
Tooth Plates: Another structural adaptation occurred in the mouth of the fish. The Dipterus formed tooth plates as well as extremely strong jaws which they used to grind and crush tough food (such as nuts and shellfish). This lungfish also thoroughly chewed food in their mouths, which is very uncommon among fishes.
The environmental pressure which led to the rise of this adaptation is the change of food source. It is most likely that some lungfish found it difficult to get the usual, flesh of their prey, but instead took to eating shellfish and other hard foods.
2 Behavioural Spawning in Vegetation: Every animal in the world reproduces in a certain way to ensure that the infant/s is born as healthy as possible. This behavioural adaptation changed where the Dipterus lungfish spawned its eggs. Previously, lungfish spawned eggs in extremely shallow waters to keep them out of reach from other fish; this was not a protected habitat. Lungfish changed their spawning site to a much more protected environment for the eggs. This was at the bottom of a river or lake and hidden within thick aquatic vegetation. The larvae were born out of the harm of predators; therefore they had much greater chance of survival.
The environmental pressure which led to the change in spawning location was that crustaceans and small fish were eating the lungfish eggs at the edge of the water. Only the lungfish with the behavioural adaptation to change locations lived.
Coastal Instincts: Over thousands of years, enormous freshwater lakes and rivers in central and eastern Australia dried out (as well as many other regions in the world), leaving an abundance of aquatic life to live in small pools of stagnant water until severe droughts occurred, which led to the largest mass extinctions in aquatic life to date, this includes lungfish. Only the freshwater fish with the instincts to swim towards the ocean survived.
The environmental pressure which caused this behavioural adaptation was the change of habitat. Due to the scarceness of a comfortable habitat, the lungfish fled towards the ocean, in search of a suitable environment.
1 Physiological Lungs: The Dipterus were one of the earliest lungfish in animal history. This is why they only had primitive lungs when compared to those of modern day lungfish. The Dipterus had two weak lungs which were used fairly rarely, similar to the modern Australian lungfish which surfaces for air only once per hour and only needs one functional lung. Over time, as droughts came and went, the Dipterus were some among few fish to stay alive. This adaptation was crucial for the survival of this special family of fish millions of years ago. People say that early lungfishes were ancestors of tetrapods, the first animal to walk onto the land (excluding insects).
The environmental pressure which led to the rise of this adaptation is the change of the environment. Fish lived in their comfortable habitats and over time, they changed and only the fish with these distinctive lungs survived.
Extinction Pressure A possible extinction pressure was the fact that the Dipterus could not discover a suitable habitat for spawning, living and hunting. Many changes in the environment occurred throughout this era and it would make sense that many species became extinct. Additionally, a constant threat from predators was another pressure towards extinction. It is only now, in modern times, where lungfish have flourished in shallow freshwater rivers and creeks. Although, human activities (mostly dam/weir developments) are beginning to really put at a strain on the life of many lungfish in Queensland.
Dipterus (Fossil)
Latin Name: Dipterus
Scientific Classification
Habitat
Dipterus is a genus in a family of ancient lungfish which lived about 385 to 360 million years ago mostly in Australia, North Africa and Europe. It is strongly believed that the Dipterus lungfish were ancestors of the modern Queensland Lungfish (N. Forsteri). Many distinct similarities are found between the two species such as the skull, the soft fleshy pelvic and pectoral fins and the unique lungs. The Dipterus were on average, about 40cm in length, which is extremely small when compared to modern lungfish.
The Dipterus lungfish much preferred deep water over the shallows for hunting, living and spawning. It was not their choice though. Millions of years ago plant life flourished at depths of over 5 metres in river and lakes, especially in central and eastern Australia. Vegetation in shallow waters was scarce due to the consistent droughts, which, when sea levels dropped killed a vast amount of vegetation. This forced countless species to change their natural environment and also live in deeper habitats which was terrible for the ecosystem. It ultimately led to a large amount of extinctions.
Lungfish thrived on the bottom of huge freshwater lakes, thanks to the extensive variety of food and thick aquatic vegetation which offered as an appropriate environment for lungfish spawn sites. The Dipterus had recently adapted to spawning in vegetation as it keep the eggs protected and hidden. Underwater flora helped lungfish’s security. Being safe and out of sight was vital in this habitat because there was such a great quantity of animals. The majority of these were prey, but there were various animals which were predators of the Dipterus. That is why aquatic vegetation was a necessity for lungfish.
Adaptations
2 Structural
Head Protection: The head of the Dipterus was incredibly protected due to a structural adaptation which affected the bones in the face and head of the fish. The Dipterus had very strong bone plates in its cheeks, around the eyes, and the back of the head; which resulted in the form of a heavily armoured skull, similar to a helmet. It was quite effective against predators, especially for young lungfish which were targeted more often.
An environmental pressure that might have caused the Dipterus to form such a tough skull and bone plates was the increase of predators into the surrounding habitat of this lungfish. It required this extra protection for it to survive.
Tooth Plates: Another structural adaptation occurred in the mouth of the fish. The Dipterus formed tooth plates as well as extremely strong jaws which they used to grind and crush tough food (such as nuts and shellfish). This lungfish also thoroughly chewed food in their mouths, which is very uncommon among fishes.
The environmental pressure which led to the rise of this adaptation is the change of food source. It is most likely that some lungfish found it difficult to get the usual, flesh of their prey, but instead took to eating shellfish and other hard foods.
2 Behavioural
Spawning in Vegetation: Every animal in the world reproduces in a certain way to ensure that the infant/s is born as healthy as possible. This behavioural adaptation changed where the Dipterus lungfish spawned its eggs. Previously, lungfish spawned eggs in extremely shallow waters to keep them out of reach from other fish; this was not a protected habitat. Lungfish changed their spawning site to a much more protected environment for the eggs. This was at the bottom of a river or lake and hidden within thick aquatic vegetation. The larvae were born out of the harm of predators; therefore they had much greater chance of survival.
The environmental pressure which led to the change in spawning location was that crustaceans and small fish were eating the lungfish eggs at the edge of the water. Only the lungfish with the behavioural adaptation to change locations lived.
Coastal Instincts: Over thousands of years, enormous freshwater lakes and rivers in central and eastern Australia dried out (as well as many other regions in the world), leaving an abundance of aquatic life to live in small pools of stagnant water until severe droughts occurred, which led to the largest mass extinctions in aquatic life to date, this includes lungfish. Only the freshwater fish with the instincts to swim towards the ocean survived.
The environmental pressure which caused this behavioural adaptation was the change of habitat. Due to the scarceness of a comfortable habitat, the lungfish fled towards the ocean, in search of a suitable environment.
1 Physiological
Lungs: The Dipterus were one of the earliest lungfish in animal history. This is why they only had primitive lungs when compared to those of modern day lungfish. The Dipterus had two weak lungs which were used fairly rarely, similar to the modern Australian lungfish which surfaces for air only once per hour and only needs one functional lung. Over time, as droughts came and went, the Dipterus were some among few fish to stay alive. This adaptation was crucial for the survival of this special family of fish millions of years ago. People say that early lungfishes were ancestors of tetrapods, the first animal to walk onto the land (excluding insects).
The environmental pressure which led to the rise of this adaptation is the change of the environment. Fish lived in their comfortable habitats and over time, they changed and only the fish with these distinctive lungs survived.
Extinction Pressure
A possible extinction pressure was the fact that the Dipterus could not discover a suitable habitat for spawning, living and hunting. Many changes in the environment occurred throughout this era and it would make sense that many species became extinct. Additionally, a constant threat from predators was another pressure towards extinction. It is only now, in modern times, where lungfish have flourished in shallow freshwater rivers and creeks. Although, human activities (mostly dam/weir developments) are beginning to really put at a strain on the life of many lungfish in Queensland.
Referencing